The Piece That Fills Me
by YaGirlKate
Summary: After 1x04, Erin is hurting and could use a friend. *Linstead One-Shot*


I dont own anything..

* * *

Erin watched Nadia cross the street out her mirror. Her heart sank when she saw the young girl walk into the alley towards the dealer, and her eyes started to fill with tears. The days events were beginning to overflow. Erin just wished that she could have helped Nadia, like Voight helped her. She wished she could have stopped that man from putting a bullet in his own brain. The blood splattered walls still made Erin cringe. It scared her, seeing how bad things could get and how quickly your life could be over.

She hadn't even realized that she had driven away from the clinic. Let alone did she register that she was sitting outside an apartment that was not her own. Yet she recognized the Blackhawks flag hanging from the third floor window. A window that showed an oddly bright apartment for 1:30 on a Tuesday morning.

Putting the car in park, Erin quickly got out ad made sure not to give anytime to change her mind. She climbed the steps in the complex two by two until she reached the familiar door on the third floor. She took a deep breath before knocking twice. Seconds later the door flung open, revealing her partner with red, puffy eyes that matched hers.

"Jay." She didn't mean to whisper it, she just didn't have any energy. He stepped aside, allowing her to move further into his home. She turned around, taking in the uncharacteristic image of her partner. His pajama pants were noticeably crooked and disheveled. His bare chest and forehead were both coated in a thin layer of sweat. And if they both weren't a complete mess, she would laugh at his hair that was sticking up in every direction. The part that broke her heart was his eyes. His eyes, usually crystal blue and full of laughter and joy, now a royal blue filled with pain and hurt.

"I'm sorry Jay, I-" She took a deep breath as she felt the tears burning her eyes. "I just- I didn't know where to go." He opened his arms and pulled her close to him.

"Shh. It's gonna be okay. I promise it'll be okay." Jay could feel her draw in a ragged breath. "I'm here, Erin. I'll always be right here." Erin pulled away from him slightly, trailing one hand down his bicep and the other down his bare chest, over his beating heart.

"How's you deal with it? In the military?" She could feel the sharp breath he took in.

"I had my unit. We were brothers, blood or not they're always family. Hell, there were men I promised could be in my wedding if I ever get married, and now they're not here. Thick or thin, we were there for each other. Each time we lost someone, we each lost a piece of ourselves. And now sometimes, I just feel so empty, like there are so many pieces of me missing and I don't know why I'm even here."

Jay looked at Erin with a soft smile. "But then I go to work everyday. And I see Tonio and Olinsky and Ruzek and Burgess and Atwater, even Voight. And I realize that they're my family now. And you, Erin. You're the one who reminds me why I'm here. You give me a purpose to live, to love and to fight everyday so that we can have our "One Day". You fill the pieces that I lost over there and I-."

His words were cut off by Erin's lips crashing against his. Rough then gentle, just like them. It was exactly how a first kiss should be, spontaneous but have that build up they both craved. Pulling away, his eyes locked with hers and the growing smile on her face.

"I should probably get going." It was almost two in the morning, a few short hours until work.

"No Erin, you should probably stay." Her eyebrows inched up at his words. "I mean, I don't- It's just that I can't"

"It's okay Jay." She laced her fingers with his. "I don't want to be alone either."

He pulled her close to him and smiled as he leaned down to meet his lips with hers, admiring the height difference. Her hands met at the back of his neck, while his slid down her thighs and lifted and wrapped her legs around his waist. He managed to carry her to the bedroom without bumping into too many things as she kissed that spot on his neck.

* * *

Jay woke up the next morning with a weight on his chest. Metaphorically, every weight had been lifted off his chest when he talked to Antonio. Physically, he had the girl of his dreams wrapped in his sheets and arms. Her dead weight made it almost impossible for Jay to get out of bed, but he finally managed to get his sweats and begin to make coffee in the kitchen. Moments later, he heard her make her way down the hall, yet refusing to turn around. He felt a small pair of arms enclose around his waist and lips against his spine.

"Well, good morning." His smile grew at the sound of her raspy voice, finally he turned to face her.

"Good morning." He bent to kiss her before taking a moment to stare at her. Just when he thought she could be any more beautiful, she managed to wake up perfect and look better in his shirt than he did. "So am I just never getting that shirt back?"

"This?" Erin looked down, to almost inspect it. "Not unless you're gonna do something about it." She smirked at him before grabbing a mug of coffee.

"You can have all my shirts if you look that good in them." Erin dipped her head, hiding behind her bangs as she bit her lip and felt a blush coming on. "Hey," He cupped her face with one hand, rubbing his thumb against her cheek bone, while his other pushed hair behind her ear.

"We can make this work, right Jay? Cause waking up with you this morning, I could get used to that. I haven't slept that well in months, and you make me feel safe. And I want this, Jay. I have for a while, I just don't know what I would do if something ever happened." Jay wrapped his arms around her shoulders, drawing her close into his chest. He placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"We're gonna make this work. I promise you."


End file.
